Feb. 26, 2013

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Des Moines Register

Iowa State linebacker and former Kimberly standout A.J. Klein runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis on Monday. / Associated Press photo/Michael Conroy

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A.J. Klein, the 2011 Big 12 co-defensive player of the year, tweeted Monday afternoon that rumors of his NFL career’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Or something like that.

The three-year starter at Iowa State spent a few minutes on Twitter responding to a Pro Football Talk report that said he suffered a “serious knee injury” at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

Klein, a Kimberly High School graduate, acknowledged that he took a spill during Monday’s workouts but tweeted, “To everyone wondering about my little fall... All is good no serious injury I will finish up my shuttles and vertical jump at pro day” on March 26.

Responding specifically to the report, which cited an unidentified league source, Klein tweeted, “yea there league source is bad.”

Earlier in the day the linebacker impressed scouts by running 4.66 seconds in the 40-yard dash. By comparison, Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o, also a linebacker, ran 4.82.